No, it's not a mythical creature from True Blood but rather a female player.

The term player is often associated with men: James Bond, Mr Big, Alfie.

But girls can be just as ruthless in the love stakes and aren't afraid to play the field and break a few hearts along the way.

"Sitting across a bar, staring right at her prey, it's going well so far, she's gonna get her way. Have a good time and behave very bad in the arms of a boy," pop diva Shakira sings in her single entitled She Wolf.

Jemima (name has been changed for privacy) said she didn't quite identify with the label She Wolf or player as she would never intentionally hurt someone, but she did like sex.

"I had just ended a long unhappy relationship and I decided I would set out to make myself happy," she said.

"If that meant having a few one-night stands, then so be it.

"I would say something like, 'Right, I'm going to get some tonight', and go out with a mission.

"I'm not sure that it was necessarily good for me, but I had a lot of steam to let off and I had to get it out of my system.

"I rang a long-time guy friend who I was pretty sure found me attractive and got him over for a booty call ... more than once, even though I had no desire to have anything more with him.

"I suspected he would have liked something more with me, but plain and simple, I was horny."

She said that while such behaviour was a turn-off for some guys, girl players numbered as many as male ones.

"It's just we can't talk about it the way guys do, otherwise we're viewed as sluts," she said.

How to spot one

A She Wolf often will be busy juggling multiple partners and relationships. Be wary of someone who is never around and always has to call you back.

She may be particularly protective of her phone which could mean she is getting calls or texts from people she would rather you didn't know about.

Does she go out with you in public? If not, she could be hesitant to do go public due to a chance of being spotted.

Is it hard to pin her down to make specific plans? She Wolves often do not like to make plans because they would rather wait and see if something better is going to come along.

She Wolves tend to be focused on an objective. They may be forward, flirty and not afraid to go after what they want.

She is likely to flirt with other men in front of you, and is likely doing more than just flirt when your back is turned.

A She Wolf will often have a lot of friends of the opposite sex. These friends are usually people whom she has already played or slept with and hasn't properly ditched.

A She Wolf will often be very hot and cold. One minute she will want to be with you, the next she won't want a bar of you.

Reader poll

Do you think there is a double standard with casual dating?

This poll ended on 13 December 2012.

Current Results

Yes

71%

No

28%

This is not a scientific poll. The results reflect only the opinions of those who chose to participate.